The U.S. Army’s Nuclear Disablement Team 1, part of the 20th CBRNE Command, recently showcased its ability to shut down a simulated nuclear power plant during an air assault training exercise in Hollywood, Alabama. The training, which involved collaboration with the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), centered on the non-operational Bellefonte Nuclear Power Plant, a secure and effective venue for such an exercise.
Key Points:
- The Bellefonte Nuclear Power Plant, located in Hollywood, Alabama, is unfinished and does not house nuclear fuel, making it a safe environment for training purposes.
- The U.S. Department of Defense possesses three Nuclear Disablement Teams (NDTs), all based at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. These teams specialize in exploiting and disabling nuclear and radiological WMD infrastructures.
- The 20th CBRNE Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground holds three-fourths of the active-duty U.S. Army’s CBRN specialists and Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians.
- Capt. David D. Manzanares, the Nuclear Medical Science officer from NDT 1, emphasized the potential threats from damaged nuclear power stations or emergencies linked to nuclear reactors in adverse situations.
- The Idaho National Laboratory provided a simulator to recreate a realistic nuclear power plant for the exercise, offering hands-on training, as opposed to the traditional classroom-based instructional training.
